The Positive Potential for the Tongue (Various Proverbs)

Aesop and a serving of tongue. Xanthus invited several philosophers of his acquaintance to supper with him; and charges Aesop to make the best provision he could think of for their entertainment. . . . So soon as ever the guests were set down at the table, Xanthus calls for supper, and expected no less than a very splendid treat. The first service was [cows] tongues sliced, which the philosophers took occasion to discourse and quibble upon in a grave formal way, as the tongue . . . is the oracle of wisdom, and the like. Xanthus, upon this, calls for a second course, and after that for a third, and so for a fourth, which were all tongues, over and over again still, only several ways dressed: some boiled, others fried, and some again served up in soup, which put Xanthus into a furious passion. Thou villain, says he, is this according to my order, to have nothing but tongues upon tongues? Sir, says Aesop, without any hesitation, since it is my ill fortune to fall under this accusation, I do appeal to all these learned persons, whether I have done well, or ill, and paid that respect to your order which I ought to do. Your order was, that I should make the best provision that I could think of for the entertainment of these excellent persons, and if the tongue be the key that leads us into all knowledge, what could be more proper and suitable than a feast of tongues for a philosophical banquet? When Xanthus found the sense of the table to be on Aesop’s side; Well my friends, says he; pray will you eat with me to-morrow, and I’ll try if I can mend your cheer; and Mr. Major-domo, says he to Aesop, let it be the care of your gravity and wisdom to provide us a supper tomorrow, of the very worst things you can think of.

Xanthus’s guests met again the next day according to the appointment; and Aesop had provided them the very same services of tongues and tongues over and over, as they had the night before. Sirrah (says Xanthus to his servant) what’s the meaning of this; that tongues should be the best of meats one day, and the worst the other? Why Sir, says he, there is not any wickedness under the sun that the tongue has not a part in. As murders, treasons, violence, injustice, frauds, and all manner of baseness; for counsels must be first agitated, the matter in question debated, resolved upon, and communicated by words, before the malice comes to be executed in fact. Tongue whither wilt thou! (says the old proverb) I go to build (says the tongue) and I go to pull down.[1]

Aesop in his wit, illustrates for us the dramatic disparity and potentiality of the tongue. It can be the foulest and disastrous of any weapon but can as well bring the greatest deal of comfort and healing. Last week we considered a few of the negative potentials for the tongue. It can produce crooked and hasty speech. This week we consider four of the positive potentials for the tongue.

Purpose Statement. Don’t underestimate the positive potential for the tongue. We may as believers underestimate the positive potential for our tongue. We can so fear the negative potential that we become leery of speaking at all. Maybe we have had numerous negative experiences where our mouth or someone else’s resulted in a lot of harm – maybe to you or because of you. Because of this, we can become nervous. While we ought to be cautious, we can’t fear speaking to the point where we don’t take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that we do have with our tongue. After all, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” ( ESV).

“The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of sense” ( ESV). With the word feed, we are offered the imagery of a shepherd guiding his sheep to a large grassy field or pasture. Here he guides them to eat and be nourished. The righteous does this with his words. His words are a fertile pasture, benefitting those around him.

Understanding lack. In contrast, “fools die for lack of sense.” Lack implies poverty and need. The people of Israel never lacked for manna because God provided for them. In contrast, the fool always lacks sense. This word is most often used in the context of a fool lacking wisdom and understanding.

To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live” ( ESV).

Whoever works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits lacks sense. ( ESV).

In both passages, the fool, who lacks sense, is analogized as one without bread. In the first, he’s exhorted to “come, eat of my bread,” and in the second, he’s described as not having any bread – obviously in need of it.

Understanding sense. I was initially puzzled when I learned that the word translated sense in this verse is most often translated as heart in other passages. We have discussed this Hebrew word (leb) many times in our study of Proverbs. (1) In chapter 2, in our pursuit of wisdom, we are to incline our heart to understanding. We are to seek for wisdom with all our heart. (2) When we defined wisdom in our fifth message, we mentioned that wisdom delivers us from evil people. In describing those evil people, was mentioned, in which the fool is described as loving his twisted path. Foolishness brings joy to his heart. (3) In we are told to trust in the Lord with all of our heart. (4) In chapter 4, we are exhorted to watch over our hearts, for from it flows the springs of life (4:23). (5) Our discussion last week on the negative potential of the tongue included the idea that hasty speech reveals the internal character of our heart.

In each of these cases, we understood heart to refer to the totality of man’s immaterial and inner being, the seat of his affections. Why then is that the word used here in ? To answer that, let me offer a personal translation of the verse. “The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die because their hearts are empty (they are empty because they have no bread to offer).”

Lips of the righteous feed many. It is this deficit of substance, it is this need and lack of wisdom within the fool, that offers the righteous an opportunity to feed. The second phrase in this verse concerning the empty heart within the fool, offers an implication for the wise or righteous. Their hearts are full. Their inner person is full and capable of feeding others.

In similar fashion to woman wisdom who calls out to the fool, “To him who lacks understanding, come and eat of my food and drink of my wine” (). She has plenty for herself and for others. And what is it she offers them? God’s Word, a revelation of himself and his desires for his people. Paul makes a similar reference in 1 Corinthians. “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it” ( ESV).

We, like woman wisdom, can have a full heart that produces words that feed many. The proclamation of God and His Word is food. It feeds those with empty hearts as well as anyone else. Wisdom is an overflowing source of life sustaining nourishment. “The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook” ( ESV).

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad” ( ESV). “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body” ( ESV). An encouraging word can lift the burdensome weight of life that we each carry at one point of another. A kind word is sweet to our soul.

Of course, a good word that is not the only object or occasion that can cheer a man.

TWOT. Many occasions and objects cheer a man: wine, ointment and perfume; a wise son; a kind word, meeting a loved one: God’s law, and the increase of the righteous, and God’s feasts. But the Lord and his salvation are cited most frequently as the reason for joy.[2]

We’ve already discussed that a fool finds joy or cheer in his foolishness, but in God’s grace, joy apart from God comes to grief ().[3] As well, finding lasting pleasure or joy outside of a relationship with God is vanity (). But, Isaiah tells us “the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” ( ESV).

What kind of speech effectively lifts a heavy heart? What kind of speech is sweetness to the soul? We know that our speech can be encouraging and can be sweet to others. We also know that God and his salvation are the primary truths that bring joy. Therefore, we can conclude that speech that communicates to others about God and his salvation can be encouraging and sweet. While all our speech will not directly be straight from God’s Word, it ought to be rooted in God’s truths.

I will never leave you nor forsake you. ( ESV).

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ( ESV). You were made uniquely by God, and you are special just as you are.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. ( ESV). God is sovereign, and nothing passes through our lives without both his awareness and control.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” ( ESV).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ( ESV).

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. ( ESV).

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah ( ESV).

casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. ( ESV).

The psalmist tells us that God’s Word lifts a heavy heart. “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing (samah) the heart (leb)” ( ESV). As well, God’s blessings in our life can lift a heavy heart. “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart” ( ESV).

“A soft answer turns away wrath” ( ESV). A soft or gentle answer turns away wrath. Think tender, soft, or delicate. Some may even consider it weak at times. While it may have the appearance of weakness or tenderness, displays its power in that “a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone” ( ESV).

In contrast, “a harsh word stirs up anger” (). A provocative word only makes the angry person angrier. This word is used in the context of Dinah being raped. Her brothers were provoked to anger and killed all the men and plundered the entire city. As well, when God saw the continual wickedness of man, he was provoked to anger. Our speech can as well provoke this type of angry reaction.

What is a gentle answer? (1) Without being demeaning, treat the person as you would a naïve child, for they are acting like a fool. This would of course include respect. (2) Thoughtfully answer instead of harshly declaring. In references to our prayers to God, “In all instances it is clear that “to answer” the prayer is equivalent to looking with favor on the petition.”[4] Acting in a righteous and merciful manner requires that we have already listened, instead of quickly and harshly reacting in bold declarations. (3) Say things that wouldn’t typically break a person. When you are dealing with an angry and foolish person, the midst of their anger is probably not the best time to say something that is going to provoke them, wound them, or grieve them. This type of reaction will only stoke the hot fire even more.

Consider . These two verses have often confused me. “Answer not [or reply not to] a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. 5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” ( ESV). In the first, we are told to not answer a fool according to his folly, and in the very next verse we are told to answer a fool according to his folly.

My confusion has been somewhat abated by my better understanding of a proverb. Proverbs are contextually driven. As we know not every context is the same, so we may need to make a decision in one context that we would not in another. In this instance, there may be context in which we leave a fool in his folly because there would be no advantage in correcting him, whereas there may be context in which leaving him in his folly is unacceptable. Maybe his foolishness is voiced publicly, and there is a need to correct him for the sake of those around him. Maybe his foolishness is so destructive that we must do everything we can to keep him from that destruction. Maybe there are times, which the verse seems to indicate, that he needs at least one person to challenge his foolishness.

And yet, there are a lot of verses that discourage correcting a fool. How are we to weigh in light of these other verses. “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the good sense of your words” ( ESV). “Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you” ( ESV). “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows into a fool” ( ESV).

These may not be commands but instead cautions. (1) If you correct a fool, you will be hated and abused. The fool will not appreciate or consider your correction. (2) But, that doesn’t mean that we don’t correct them. Often, we look at verse 4 and verse 5 as two possibilities that are to be applied in different context. Instead it is possible that verse 5 is intended to conclude the thought in verse 4.

[T]he second proverb becomes a cautionary limitation to the first. Yes, it is dangerous to respond to a fool, but the wise have a duty to speak up. By virtue of the placement, v 5 responds to v 4 and has the last word. In the end, there may be no choice but to give the fool a tongue lashing.[5]

Regardless, wisdom and discernment are necessary. There are going to be times when it would be best to not answer a fool according to his folly, but there are as well contexts where we will need to answer the fool.

By way of a side note, not everyone that needs to be corrected is a fool. There may be times when a non-fool needs to be graciously corrected. Discernment is as well needed to know which times someone’s error should be acknowledged and when they should be left alone. We can all imagine what it would be like if a parent were to always correct a wrong action or deed, or if an employer corrected every time a mistake was made or wrong statement offered or if a teacher corrected every misstep by a student. We would probably find them overbearing and begin to ignore them at some point.

So then, while people can and should benefit from correction, we need to pray for discernment to know when the best times to correct present themselves. There may be times, when we simply leave a foolish statement alone so that we don’t unintentionally heap on shame. But, clearly there are times when anyone, specifically a fool in this context, needs to be corrected so they are not left in their foolishness.

There are many wonderful opportunities for our tongue. We can feed the empty heart. We can encourage the troubled heart. We can calm the angry, and less enjoyable, we can put in place the fool.

But before we conclude and walk away purposing to work at applying these four of areas in our lives, let’s not forget one more important biblical principle. Anything we say without love is pointless and empty. “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” ( ESV).

[1] Aesop, Aesop. Aesop: The Life of Aesop and Aesop's Fables translated by Sir Roger L'Estrange, 1692. (Carrigboy Classics) (Kindle Locations 354-378). Carrigboy. Kindle Edition.

[2] Bruce K. Waltke, “2268 שָׂמַח,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 879.

Many occasions and objects cheer a man: wine (; Jud 9:13; ), ointment and perfume (); a wise son (; ; ); a kind word (), meeting a loved one (): God’s law ( [H 9]), and the increase of the righteous (), and God’s feasts (; cf. śimḥâ). But the Lord and his salvation are cited most frequently as the reason for joy (; [H 12]; 9:2 [H 3]; 16:9; 32:11; 40:16 [H 17]; 63:11 [H 12]; 64:10 [H 11]; 86:4; 90:15; 92:4).

[3] “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief” ( ESV). Note the parallelism in these two verses. The end of joy and the way to death are parallel and are the result of a man following his own path.

[4] R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds., Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 679.

[5] Fox, , 794.

The Positive Potential for the Tongue (Various Proverbs)

Introduction

The tongue can feed the empty heart (10:21).

The tongue can encourage the troubled heart (12:25, 16:24).

The tongue can calm the angry (15:1).

The tongue can put in place the fool (26:5).

Concluding Thought